Western Tailed-Blue
Cupido amyntula (Boisduval, 1852)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Polyommatinae
Identification: Narrow tail on hindwing. Upperside of male blue, female brown with blue at wing base. Underside white with black spots indistinct or lacking; single small orange spot near tail.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 1/8 inches (2.2 - 2.9 cm).
Life History: Males patrol and perch during the day. Females lay eggs on flowers or young seedpods of host plant. Caterpillars eat young seeds inside the pod, where they overwinter and pupate.
Flight: March-July. Several broods in southern California, a partial second brood in the southern Rocky Mountains, and one brood elsewhere.
Caterpillar Hosts: Legumes with inflated pods including false lupine (Thermopsis), milkvetch (Astragalus), crazyweed (Oxytropis), and vetches (Vicia and Lathyrus).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Open - usually native - areas with low shrubs including chaparral, meadows, and open woodland.
Range: Alaska south through western North America and all western mountains to northern Baja California, east across Canada's prairie provinces to northern Michigan, Ontario, and the Gaspé Peninsula.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Alternate Scientific Names:
Everes amyntula
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 725 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 16, 2023
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Grant County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 28, 2023
Observation date: Apr 16, 2023
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Grant County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 28, 2023
Observation date: May 07, 2023
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 28, 2023
Observation date: May 24, 2023
Submitted by: Varn
Region: Jefferson County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 28, 2023
Observation date: May 13, 2023
Submitted by: cklindsey
Region: Umatilla County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 20, 2023
Observation date: May 19, 2023
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Thurston County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 20, 2023
Observation date: May 04, 2023
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 06, 2023
Observation date: Apr 21, 2023
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Grant County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 03, 2023
Observation date: Apr 20, 2023
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 26, 2023
Observation date: Jul 08, 2019
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Apr 15, 2023
Observation date: Mar 18, 2019
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Napa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 14, 2023
Observation date: Jul 24, 2022
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 14, 2023
Observation date: Jun 11, 2017
Submitted by: storolaf
Region: North Slope, Alaska, United States
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 10, 2023
Observation date: Jul 18, 2020
Submitted by: jsaunders260
Region: Matanuska-Susitna, Alaska, United States
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 10, 2023
Observation date: Jun 01, 2020
Submitted by: jsaunders260
Region: Matanuska-Susitna, Alaska, United States
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 09, 2023
Observation date: Jul 01, 2020
Submitted by: jsaunders260
Region: Matanuska-Susitna, Alaska, United States
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 07, 2023
Observation date: Jun 16, 2011
Submitted by: Tommie Rogers
Region: Denali, Alaska, United States
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 07, 2023
Observation date: Jun 07, 2019
Submitted by: tylerjkrul
Region: Denali, Alaska, United States
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 07, 2023
Observation date: Oct 12, 2022
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jan 27, 2023
Observation date: Jul 12, 2022
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Otero County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 02, 2023